THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
Charles rode at Balant, who was shouting: “O Christian traitors, I was ready to be baptized and you
have killed my son!” and with that cry struck Charles with his lance and bent him backwards. But
valiant Charles hurled him to the ground.
Almont would have turned against Charles, but the Christians, who had witnessed the joust, now ran
up the hill and from the mountainside, so that Almont realized that if he stayed, he would be slain or
taken. He turned his horse in flight and in a short time it flew far ahead of the other horses, so
swiftly did it carry its master. In those days, there was no better horse to be found in all the world.
The Saracen’s called it Briador. 57
Almont from thence skirted the mountainside and, descending from its height into a valley, crossed
it and began to ascended another mountain. King Charles, seeing him in flight, was aware that this
was Almont and swore by God not to leave him until he had slain him to avenge his barons. He
spurred his horse, took up his lance, and rode off in that direction.
At this moment, Balant, who had been cast down, ran to recapture his horse and was about to get
back in the saddle. Duke Namo, seeing this, rode toward Balant and would not let him remount.
They began a bitter fight and battered and slashed each other’s armor to pieces. Ogier the Dane saw
this and ran toward Balant in aid of the Duke. When Balant saw him coming, he cried out in a loud
voice to the Duke, not knowing him to be Duke Namo: “O Christian knight, what would you gain
by killing me? I desire to convert to your faith. If the Duke of Bavaria had been the one to find me,
he would have spared my life.” The Duke said: “Who are you, Sir knight?” He answered; “I am
Balant, the ambassador who came to France.” Ogier was on the point of wounding Balant when
Namo cried: “Leave off, brother, for I am as bounden to this man as to anyone in the world.
57 Briador: this horse, later named Veliantin, is destined to become Roland’s.